2016 Cannabadger Wisconsin Year in Cannabis Review

2016 marked another difficult year for cannabis legalization in Wisconsin. With all branches of state government under the control of Republicans who have shown little interest in cannabis for six years and counting, progress at the state level was again stymied. With any forward progress impossible at the state level, cannabis activists once again concentrated on local efforts, with mixed results.

The city of Monona Wisconsin has fumbled attempts to reduce pot penalties badly. (Cannabadger.com)

July brought an effort in the central Wisconsin city of Tomah where Alder Chris King launched an effort to look at reducing local pot fines. The idea was first rejected during a council meeting that saw heated debate and hysterics from a group of local anti-cannabis zealots.

Screen grab of video clip showing Chief finishing his testimony and Judge Flock (in cutoff jeans) pushing up to testify against the proposal to study decriminalization in Tomah. (Cannabadger.com)

However, in a surprising reversal the following day, Tomah’s police chief changed his mind, with the council then okaying the creation of a committee to study decriminalization by a 5-2 vote.

In Monona, following setbacks in collecting sufficient signatures and running out of time, Madison NORML suspended their ballot campaign a few signatures short of the minimum. NORML is currently planning restarting the effort by again approaching city officials in January 2017. We will continue to follow that story.

Russ Feingold with Gary Storck at a 2004 fundraiser at the Majestic Theatre in Madison. (Cannabadger.com)

Also featured was a letter I had published in the Wisconsin State Journal: “Feingold should give view on marijuana.” Unfortunately, Russ Feingold didn’t take that advice and perhaps his failure to support cannabis law reform kept some voters from supporting him in his loss in an election that nationally saw 8 of 9 state cannabis initiatives pass, four medical initiatives: Arkansas, Florida, Montana, North Dakota, and four more states legalized adult use: California, Maine, Massachusetts and Nevada. An adult use initiative in Arizona lost narrowly.

Looking ahead to 2017, will the Assembly GOP bring back the CBD repair bill, and will conservative Republicans in the state senate let it progress or block it again? Will Rep. Kremer follow up on his proposal to again make Wisconsin a leader in hemp production? How will the incoming Trump administration affect cannabis policy in the states? Who will introduce the first cannabis-related legislation of the new 2017-2018 session? Will any Democratic-sponsored cannabis bills receive a public hearing? Will local governments continue the trend of reducing pot penalties through local decriminalization ordinances? Cannabadger will try to answer these questions and more when 2017 arrives in Wisconsin. (Update: 12/14/2016 5:06:30 PM Rep. Kremer announced in a Dec. 14, 2016 press release, “Farm Bureau adopts policy on industrial hemp, Kremer ready to help ,” not only the support of the Farm Bureau but that he is attempting to schedule informational hearings on industrial hemp in both houses after lawmakers reconvene in January 2017.)